The Southern Institute of Forest Genetics (SIFG), USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station (USFS-SRS) seeks information on commercial vendors that are capable of providing a Laser Capture Micro-dissection Microscope (LCMM) to support forest tree genomics research at SIFG and cytogenetics research at a Texas A&M University (TAMU) user facility. The LCMM will be sited and used as a shared resource accessible to researchers from USFS, TAMU, other government agencies, other academic institutions and private industries. This Sources Sought is for market research purposes only and does not obligate the US Forest Service in any manner. After results of this market research are obtained and analyzed, and specifications are developed, business set-asides determined, the USDA Forest Service The Forest Service may conduct a competitive procurement and subsequently award a Contract for a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). USFS-SRS and Texas A&M seek a state-of-the-art Laser Capture Microdissection Microscope (LCMM) that has many uses in cellular- and tissue-based genetics and physiology research, including the dissection of individual chromosomes from single cells. This microscope will provide deconvolution imaging capability. The system must have high precision capture of specimen, like individual chromosomes/region of a chromosome and single cells. This should be manageable using high precision stage movement and micron size laser cutting resolution. The laser pulse should not generate any heat that can be harmful for chromosome and/or tissue. The system should be mounted on an inverted microscope to facilitate living cell applications. 1. GENERAL This LCMM is intended to be used by SIFG, USFS-SRS, and various TAMU genome research groups for a wide range of RNA/DNA/Protein and living cell applications. The laser pulse of the LCMM must be capable of catapulting chromosomes/regions of chromosomes from a non-membrane glass slide. The system should consist of a solid state UV laser with optimum cutting wavelength, which does not impair DNA, RNA or protein recovery. 2. BASE MICROSCOPE a. The microscope and laser capture system should come from a single manufacturer making service and support more convenient and manageable. b. The microscope should be capable of using all slide platforms, including membrane and non-membrane slides, frame slides, charged slides, uncharged slides and dishes. c. The microscope should be capable of selecting multiple objects from the same field-of-view, and catapult objects quickly and those sequentially as assigned to a single cap or multiple caps. d. The system should be capable of achieving a laser cutting resolution of less than 1 micron with a 100x objective, making single cell and some sub-cellular dissections possible. e. The microscope should be used to conduct all standard LCM applications, including paraffin fixed, cryo-section of live cells, fluorescence, and archived slides. f. The microscope should have a full range of long working distance objectives from 5x to 150x (5x, 10x, 20x, 40x, 63x, 100x, and 150x). g. The microscope should have a confocal apparatus to enhance the LCM system value and to increase operational flexibility. h. The microscope should employ the Laser Pressure Catapulting technology to provide 'True' non-contact operation, thereby yielding high capture efficiency and reducing cross contamination. i. The PC Workstation should have minimum 2 TB RAID HD, Memory expandable to 128 GB RAM, and one (1) GB Graphics Card. j. Technical support, service and application support should be readily available upon request. 3. SYSTEM ACCESSORIES The LCMM should be easily upgraded for the following capabilities/features: a. Can be configured to be used with bright-field, phase, and plas DIC b. Can be configured for high through-put operation to expedite the capture of large numbers of samples c. A modularly designed system that can be easily upgraded to prevent obsolescence d. Other imaging platforms can be added/upgraded for increased functionality, including research grade imaging cameras and tweezers operation e. The system should be upgradeable to perform laser microinjection of living cells f. The system should be upgradeable to be capable of living cell microsurgery and retrieval of cells from tissue cultures The US Forest Service is seeking responses from all responsible sources, including large, foreign, and small businesses. Small businesses are defined under the associated NAICS code for this effort, 334516, as those domestic sources having 500 employees or less. Please include your company's size classification and socio-economic status in any response to this notice. Companies that manufacture LCMMs are requested to email a detailed report describing their abilities to
[email protected] no later than the response date for this sources sought notice. The report should include achievable specifications and any other information relevant to your product or capabilities. Also, the following information is requested to be provided as part of the response to this sources sought notice: 1. Name of the company that manufactures the system components for which specifications are provided. 2. Name of company(s) that are authorized to sell the system components, their addresses, and a point of contact for the company (name, phone number, fax number and email address). 3. Indication of number of days, after receipt of order that is typical for delivery of such systems. 4. Indication of whether each instrument for which specifications are sent to
[email protected] is currently on one or more GSA Federal Supply Schedule contracts and, if so, the GSA FSS contract number(s). 5. Any other relevant information that is not listed above which the Government should consider in developing its minimum specifications and finalizing its market research.